Makurdi: Gov. Hyacinth Alia of Benue has announced the revival of the long-abandoned N70 billion Taraku Mill, stating that the state could no longer afford to let its economic potential go to waste. Alia shared this during a media chat in Makurdi with the Renewed Hope Ambassadors Presidential Media Team, led by Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Strategy.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the team visited Benue to inspect completed and ongoing federal and state infrastructure projects, including the Taraku Mill located in Gwer East Local Government Area. The governor explained that the revitalization of the mill is part of his administration’s broader strategy to create sustainable economic structures that can endure changes in political leadership.
Alia criticized previous administrations for lacking comprehensive development plans, which led to projects being initiated without considering continuity and the actual needs of citizens. He emphasized the importance of having a clear direction, mission, and vision for development.
The governor highlighted that his administration’s development blueprint was formulated after consultations with communities to differentiate between people’s desires and their actual priority needs. This approach required understanding the needs of market women, farmers, and other residents before committing resources to projects.
Alia’s objective is to transition Benue from a “glorified village status” to improved towns and economic centers. He stressed the importance of sustainability in projects, ensuring that investments remain productive beyond the current administration’s tenure.
He argued that government involvement in strategic investments is essential for creating employment, retaining capital, and stimulating the local economy. Examples include the newly established Benue Brewery, juice factory, and concentrate factory, which aim to process local agricultural products and strengthen the state’s value chain.
Benue’s agricultural produce includes sorghum, cassava, maize, oranges, and soybeans, but industries are needed to convert these into finished products. Developing such industries would create markets for farmers, generate employment, and reduce capital flight caused by importing products that could be locally produced.
Farmers with orchards and farms have been organized into cooperatives, enabling them to access support and providing industries with dependable raw material sources. Improved road networks linking Benue with Abuja are expected to enhance opportunities for farmers to deliver fresh produce to the federal capital and other markets.
The revival of Taraku Mill is significant as Benue was once a leading soybean producer, but the mill’s collapse disrupted the market for farmers. The mill’s return will provide a sustained market for soybean farmers, with incentives and farm inputs already being provided to identified producers.
During an earlier inspection of the Taraku Mill, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Tersoo Kula, noted that production continued until the mid-1990s before the factory became moribund. The Alia administration has since serviced the machinery, which is currently undergoing test runs.
The mill will produce soybean and groundnut oil, process maize, and manufacture animal feeds, restoring its role as an economic booster for the area. The revival is attributed to improved economic conditions and federal support, with major investments requiring adequate resources.
The administration has also rehabilitated the Otobi Waterworks and its treatment plant in Otukpo Local Government Area to provide necessary water for mill operations. Mr. Terngwu Kyuve, General Manager of the mill, stated that the facility would create approximately 2,000 direct and indirect jobs when fully operational.
Kyuve detailed that the plant consists of oil, maize, and animal-feed divisions, with the maize plant capable of processing 72,000 metric tonnes annually. The animal-feed plant can process 172,300 metric tonnes annually, and the oil division has facilities for mechanical pressing, flaking, solvent extraction, and refining.
He mentioned that the mechanical press can process 200 metric tonnes of seeds daily, solvent extraction 320 metric tonnes daily, and the refinery 100 metric tonnes of oil daily. Maintenance and test-running are ongoing, with dry and wet testing to occur before production begins. Kyuve expressed optimism that products would start emerging from the factory within two months, marking the return of Taraku Mill to industrial production after decades of inactivity.